Mystic Pop-Up Bar (2020)

Loved the Series!!! - Mystic Pop Up Bar

I was exploring this particular genre of "Reap what you sow" and this came in one of the recommended of one of the darker shows I had watched. Honestly, it did not disappoint. I loved it and I am glad that I picked this one. I loved the supernatural elements, the parallel worlds, the tinge of comedy and romance while the main crux of the problem revealed itself after.

There were a lot of things I really enjoyed.

The Story Line
I absolutely loved the story line . It was perfect but yet there was some want left in the end.

I loved how the drama started, pushing us to the past and how the current setting came to be. And i loved how the drama answers the questions the viewers had regarding the past. The concept of getting your grudges fulfilled is already an existing concept but adding a twist of a bar was very interesting.

I love how the backstories were introduced and many of the cases felt very realistic despite the supernatural touch.

Each of the characters were well played and likeness of each character was also well placed. I loved the little family that was beginning to form despite the truth that came in the end. It really felt like destiny played a huge part in their lives.

The moral of the drama was well utilised. That for family/love, we even sacrifice itself and that if it is true, no matter what, we will never regret it. It was very wholesome to see the main characters sacrifice for the sake of loved ones though the whole thing began on a misunderstanding and a very obvious villain.

However, there were a few points that got me a little dissatisfied.

Even though, the story had tied up all its knots well, answering all questions, there was no proper epilogue, showing a happily every after. So the emotion there got cut-short. I would have loved to see the true happiness of Kang Bae with his new found family and girl friend.

Along with that a few of the moments, especially towards the end could be explored. Like what exactly happened to the villain, what is the condition of the villains dad, did kang bae's ability disappear, what about cinnabar now that kang bae is normal. It felt a little messy when tying up the ends. Episode 12 was way too rushed towards the end.

Also I was a bit unhappy of how the villain was built. He felt way too powerful except for when it was really needed and he was defeated in a pathetic way, though i wouldn't really be able to judge that as it was not really shown.

Acting & Cast
When it comes to acting and cast, there is two things I notice majorly.

Are the Actors able to do justice to the characters?
And
Are they able to move the Audience?

All the actors were able to do a really good job and have portrayed there characters very well. I liked the leads and disliked the villain - as it should be. The only part where I would give a slight lower rating is there were moments of slightly cringe acting, maybe to give a comedic effect.

As for were they able to move the audience? Of course, I smiled at parts that were adorable like when Kang bae and cinnabar were exploring their first love. And I teared up towards the end because i hated what a grave situation they ended up in due to a misunderstanding they were in.

Over all, this drama was a really good and worth it watch for me. But I would give it a slightly lower score just for those few areas. I might watch it again if in a mood but not till the end.

P. S - my rating for music is low because there wasnt really any music except for the competition and the karaoke. So it doesnt really count.

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Heartwarming mystical dream story

●HOW I CAME TO IT
It was on my PTW for a few weeks and I suddenly netflix recommended it so I gave it a go.

●STORY
Wol ju did a grave sin in her mortal life so as the heavens punishment she is sent to living realm and settle 100000 people grudges. She has been doing this for 500 years, and is only 10 grudges more to go which seems easy but is difficult, as in modern days nobody opens up about the problem. She then hires Han Kang Bae as people start to ramble their problems when coming in contact with him. There is also Guibanjang who keeps an eye on wol ju, the three together try to achieve the quota of grudges.

●PLOT VIEW
The storyline was intriguing and uplifting. Every episode has one case of grudge settlement, which gives a very fast pace to the drama which keeps it away from getting boring and unnecessary plot fillers.
Along with that popup bar owner story gradually keeps unfolding. The climax is fab but somewhat predictable. It is smooth-flowing and consistent. It doesn't have confusing flashbacks throughout the episodes. There are no cliffhanger at end of episode which is why I liked the drama more.
Romance is just a bit in the drama but then it makes a huge impact to the story.

●ACTING/CAST
Everyone acts excellent.
Hwang jung eom as Wol ju was excellent, I had always watched her in dramas where she is crying whit heavy volumes, ouch which hurt ears. But this drama she had mild cries and very humorous and energetic.
Yook Sung Jae as Han kang bae is fun and light. He gave somewhat Goblin vibes. As a living human in between the mystical creatures he surely show great lively, honest and lovely nature. His face does all the work for him.

●MUSIC
BGM is done nicely and sets the mood and soul of the scene. OST were good but the one I like is Dive by Jung jin woo, it has an upbeat music. Other songs were slow which served as good BGM but I cant remember them.

●REWATCH
It is rewatchable having light romance with hilarious and fluff story. Its not depressing.

●APPRECIATION
The amazing and funny cases, which each shows that we should act more cautiously and not hurt others by our actions and words.
The action scenes were well choreographed and the CGIs were excellent.
The awesome food in each episode, it seems so yummy and makes me hungry every-time.

●CRITICISM
The plot seems interesting, but when I started watching, it felt a mix of Hotel Del Luna and Goblin. And Yook sung jae acting is very similar like in goblin, which sometimes made me irritated.

●FAV SCENE
Lat scene of the last episode

●AFTERTHOUGHT
This drama is definitely underrated. The show has comforting story which bring a sense of satisfaction at the end of episode.

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My Soul is CLEANSED with wholesomeness

I'm speechless. This drama came out of nowhere for me - I was literally just browsing through shows and this just so happened to intrigue me with its extravagant title. Little did I know, this one click of a button spiraled down to a 12-hour long session of cleansing my soul and spirit. This charming drama was EVERYTHING I didn't know I needed.

(+) Fantastically executed storyline
(+) Unique 'mystical' theme that references into some shaman cultures in Korea 🎪
(+) Very likable main cast
(+) Great acting
(+) Plot twists done right
(+) Wholesome scenes ❤️❤️
(+) Quirky moments but never over-the-top

REVIEW
Now I can go on forever about the details, but to be honest, this is a drama you want to go in blind. I think part of what is so tasteful about the story is the discovery - like I said, this is a very well thought out story. The mystical theme introduced in the beginning may throw you off and cause some confusion but just trust the plot and you will understand eventually. Once you have a decent understanding of the main premise, there will be specific details the director will leave out until it is revealed at the right moment. These are the qualities of an effective story-telling, which this drama really excels at.

This is probably biased from me being completely whipped by this drama but there is absolutely zero reasons for you to not give this a chance - this is by far one of the most well-crafted stories I have seen in a long while, and that's not an overstatement. Unless you hate watching anything that is not 100% realistic, I'd strongly recommend to just give it a shot. I will say this drama is not perfect though, but the entire mood and wholesome intention of this drama has absolutely captivated me and won me over. And I don't consider myself an easy critic or reviewer either - which should tell you that much more about the potential greatness this drama can bring to you.

Now go on and enter that mystical tent you've always been curious about!

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You are going back and forth on earth and dream world

One of the pretty interesting fantasy dramas I have watched! Every charecter has their different storyline and were also tangled with each other in drama! Every charecter has a realtionship with every charecter in the drama which you'll slowly get to know as you move forward!! And it was not boring as all the episodes made sense . The twists in the story were so stunning that once you get to know the purpose of each character it tells you why exactly the charecter was build that way! Fantasy can sometimes make absolutely no sense but this one did!
The actors did a great job in playing their role pn point ! if you hate a charecter in the series who is doing a evil role he's doing his job perfectly!
Lastly the sweet chemistry between main leads gave the drama a different glow! At first you'll not understand who the main male lead is or is their any but once you get to know you'll feel that it was a perfect match !

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where do find this bar…??

i think i saw somewhere a long time ago, people talking about a show or a movie about a bar appearing out of nowhere and the bartender listens to everyones struggles. i was always intrigued by this plot idea and wondered if it would ever come to life. much to my surprise, netflix recommended me this show with the exact same premise and of course i had to watch!!

first of all, if you watched the k-drama ‘tomorrow’, it’s almost the exact same. people come to them and they settle grudges, in tomorrow, the ‘entities’ find people who are on the brink of giving up their life and save them. it’s essentially the same idea, and since tomorrow is one of my favourite shows, this was really nice to watch and made me have a feeling like i was watching tomorrow’s twin show!

i liked everything about it. the plot, the comedy, the reveals, plotwists- you name it.

even the characters were cool! i really have nothing to complain about. although i have to admit, some of the major reveals in the show were so easy to spot so they didn’t really come off as shocking lol…i was more so happy and excited everytime i got a guess correct.

such a wonderful story with a beautiful message! i recommend it!

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I am sorry, but...

I was not planning on writing a review ever (you will understand why) to be honest with you all, but this kdrama was just... uh.
Firstly I want to apologize but english is not my first language and even tho i can understand text or speech perfectly, my writing is anything but. So please bear with me.
I know that many people have the problem with the last episode but I think I understand what they did here. If you look at it from the view of a normal kdrama watcher, lots of kdramas have 16 episodes, this one has just 12 ep. Usually the main drama is happening somewhere between 10-16, but this k-drama even with lots of deep thoughs and memories was fresh, heartwarming funny and kind on a soul for all of 11 episodes. In the last one (12 ep) happened everything what usually happens in those four next episodes. I do not enjoy the BIG drama they usually tryning to give us it is not my taste but in this kdrama i was okay with it because it lasts so little and thanks to that it remained fresh and light.
I love this kdrama they took something mainstream and added something new, something nice. You will not be bored by it and you will not be in that ugly kind of shock of "What the hell did they do with the plot again." I promise. If you want something pretty with good acting and fun moments, go for this one.

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A punishment given to a woman who commits the ultimate sin. She is to run a bar and help as many people as she can get over their hardships through their dreams. If you're looking for a heartfelt, subtle romance, and found family tropes then this is the one for you! The ending is very happy and leaves you feeling very satisfied with the whole show. I could watch this one over and over with how much I fell in love with all of the characters and their bar.

-- Spoilers Below --

Wol Joo is probably one of my favorite characters out of any kdrama I've watched so far. She's so strong, confident and stubborn, but can come off rude to others. She is very strong in her hatred for all people, this due to her terrible past, which led to her suicide. Now, she has to run a bar and help the very people she hates: Humans. Along the series, you slowly watch her open up and learn that things get better and to truly accept her feelings. You learn that her and Chef Gwi were actually supposed to be together in their past lives and now finally get to be together in their present while still running the bar. The slow burn and realization of their feelings was one of the best parts of the show, but didn't overpower any of the ongoing story already. Her relationship with Han Kang-Bae is so cute and I loved seeing her journey to actually getting to see her child and correct his soul. She took him in without even knowing it and to watch the 3 of them get closer was the best.

Han Kang-Bae has had a "power" or a curse as he would probably say that when he touches someone they have to tell him everything wrong going on in their lives. It's drained him from all of these years and he avoids any physical touch with anyone due to it becoming a huge problem. He finds it hard to build relationships and only really has a few friends from work. He lives a mundane life and eventually comes across the pop-up bar. You watch him slowly come to terms with his power and learn how it can actually be used for the better and can also help the bar as well. He also becomes super close with Wol Joo and Chef Gwi, learning that she is his mom, the ending becomes super perfect when he realizes her sacrifies were not in vain and they can continue to live happily together and continue to help people. He eventually also finds love with a security guard he meets on one of the calls for the bar and then eventually while she starts working at the store. She is immune to his touch powers which makes it easy for him to actually open up and be around her genuinely without the trauma dumping.

I do wish there was more of the storylines with Chef Gwi's backstory (even though his is technically tied with Wool Joo's) and definitely more with Kang Yeo-Rin. Both of their characters were so likable and played such great supporting actors that it left me wanting more from them! Especially after the romance between Yeo-Rin and Kang-Bae sparks up. I loved them together so much and same for Chef Gwi and Wool Joo. All relationships in the show are so close and sweet that it made it an even better watch. The chemistry between all of them was incredible.

Will definitely be re-watching this one and it quickly became a favorite of mine.

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"Won't you have a drink with us?"

I had seen this drama pop up in my recommendations for a while, but I never wanted to check it out because the trailer put me off. I decided to check it out because of it's high ratings and praise, and I do not regret watching it one bit. It gives off Hotel Del Luna vibes due to the FL's, but I preferred this a lot more. Since there's only 12 episodes, the story didn't drag and the ending felt complete (for the most part).

This was a refreshing drama which puts life into perspective. Although people may seem put together on the outside, many are dealing with struggles inside. Each episode felt like a new rollercoaster as it focused on a new grudge but I found it to be very lighthearted and heartwarming. I immediately knew I was going to love this drama just after watching the first episode.

I really loved the trio consisting of the badass and charismatic Weolju, the calm and dependent Guibanjang, and the clumsy and sweet Kangbae. This was my drama with Hwang Jung Eum and I don't think any other person can portray Weolju than her. I have been a fan of Choi Won Young since I've seen him in many dramas, and I LOVED the SKY Castle reference!!!! And a special mention to Jung Daeun. I think she executed Kang Yeorin's character perfectly, and she gained herself a new fan! I hope to see her in more roles in the future :)

Overall, this drama provided a lot of comedic relief while also having a nice message throughout each episode. Each episode left me feeling warm and fuzzy and it reminded me how valuable life is. "No matter what's making you suffer now, things will settle and pass eventually. Hang in there until then, and you'll find yourself stronger."

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